Artist to paint a five-story mural in pursuit of ArtPrize

Mike Mayosky needs a little help from his friends

Springfield artist and mural painter Mike Mayosky is always working on and promoting something. Our colorful local artist has something very big that he is promoting right now. He has entered the ArtPrize 2010 competition in Grand Rapids, Mich., and he is hoping to win the grand prize of $250,000. Second or third place would be okay too, at $100,000 and $50,000 respectively.

Mayosky will be painting a mural on the side of a five-story building adjacent to U.S. Rt. 131 in downtown Grand Rapids, and the mural will remain on the building for a year.

Mayosky begins work on the project this week and hopes that local folks who admire his artistry and/or his chutzpah will donate enough money to meet his allocated budget of $5,300. In particular he needs $500 for truck rental, and $1,050 to buy a man-lift by Friday. Other immediate expenses are liability insurance ($680) and a storage pod ($160).

Locally Mayosky is known for the paintings adorning the Penny Lane store on South MacArthur and many other venues. He is a high-energy guy involved in the local art scene, recently organizing the First Thursday art events above Norb Andy’s on East Capitol downtown.

ArtPrize began last year in Grand Rapids, the brainchild of Rick DeVos of the DeVos family that started Amway Products. It is billed as “a radically open competition, open to any artist in the world who can find space, open to a vote from anyone who attends.”

The event attracted a million people in 2009. “It’s a big hoopdela,” Mayosky affirmed. “I’m totally stoked.” The theme of the event is “Think Big and Work Backward.” And it’s free. Learn more about it at www.artprize.org.

The artist, on his way to Grand Rapids, Mich.

PHOTO BY GINNY LEE

Mayosky made his pitch for the project last week at the Pecha Kucha event at Capital City Bar & Grill. Inspired by the prize money as well as the exposure to his artistic prowess, he has been working for two months planning for the competition.

Artist friend Mike Gritmacker will assist Mayosky during the event, helping with publicity, supplies, and logistics.

“It’s hard to get Springfield to understand how big this thing is,” Mayosky explained recently. You can keep up with the contest on YouTube or you can become the artist’s Facebook friend. To make a donation to the effort, contact Deanna Day at day5709@sbcglobal.net or call 217-553-6204.

“If I finish in the top 10, donors can have their donations back by Nov. 1,” Mayosky said. Even if the artist does not finish in the top 10, donations will be paid back by May 1, 2011, according to Mayosky.